The Ottawa free trader., 1887-10-15
Lake Michigan, estimating its cost,


etc; therefore, be II
Resolved, /. That the highest con
sideratiOns Of patriotism and reasonable
sUlicltude for our national def6nSeS, anC
the public welfare of the nation Hll i'm
paratively demand that the aforesaid
Improvement shall be vigorously prose
culed 10 AN early completion.
9. That to that end We hereby respect
fully urge upon Congress that at tht
coming session 1t accept the locks and
dams ceded 10 the general government
by the state of Illinois. and appropriate
the amount OF money estimated and
asked for by engineers to complete the
two locks and dams now under con
structiOn on the lower Illinois river
and appropriate at least one third 0l
the amount estimated to improve the
rivers to Joliet.
3. That Congress may, early in the
coming session, authorize ana provide
by suitable appropriation tor the ap'
pOintment of corps of United States
engineers to make surveys and investi'
cations and report upon the feasibility
aud estimated cost ef developing a wa
ter. way from Joliet to Lake Michigan
| at the city of Chicago, suitable for the
/ largest river steamers and capaple or
drawing from SAID lake not less than
| 6OO, 900 cubic feet of water per minute
with u current suitable for all naviga.
tiOn purposes, and TO report the effect
thereof upon the water and navigation
of the Desplaines, Illinois, and Missis
sippi rivers
4. That we respectfully urge that
these surveys and estimates be ordered
early in the coming session. that the en-.
gineers may at once thereafter proceed
to their work and be able to report TO
Congress for action before adjournment.
3. That inasmuch AS practically no
returns for this expenditure OF money
can be realized by commerce and In.
dustry, or in pr0viOing for our national
defense, until the whole Improvement
is completed, we would also respect
fully urge at the coming session OF Con.
gress suitable appropriation to be ap-
piled upon the section of the improve.
ment from Joliet to Lake Michigan,
and by this means tue entire route In
all Its sections will be in course of rapid
completion, which will be much more
economical than if it should be delayed
through long course OF years by small
annual appropriations.
8. That we cordially endorse the pro.
posed canal connecting Lake Michigan
with the upper Mississippi river via
Hennepin to said river ut or near Rock
Island, as a national undertaking of
great importance to producers in the
West and shippers in the East. and
earnestly commend 1t to Congress and
the people of the United States as a
national water. way to be promptly
acted upon.
I. That while this convention Is es-
peclaDly desrOus OF the improvement OF
the Illinois and Desplaines rivers and
connecting the same with Lake Michi.
gan for the purposes of navigation and
military defense, it is at the same time
IN hearty sympathy with all efforts be-
ing made to improve the navigation of
the Mississippi river and its great trlbu-
taries, as well as all other feasible
water ways of the country.
s. That this convention earnestly
recommend the Improvement bv the
general government of the United
States of the Mississippi river and all
Its nagivable tributaries. Including its
connections with the northern lakes and
the Gulf of Mexico. in the interest of
commerce as we'll as national defense.
Juoge Prendergast followed by ring
ing speech and set of resolutions outlin-
ing a plan of operations. The plan was
fully discussed. and being deemed feasible
was adoped. 1t provides for general
executive committee of one from each
congressional district represented Power
is lodged in the president of the committee
to assign members to execute the details OF
the work, which is to attend party conven-
tions and see that planks favoring this work
are made parts of their platforms; to call a
national convention for not later than Sept.
1888, to consider this subject and to obtain
the specific answer from every congress
sional candidate nominated up to the time
of holding such convention as to whether
or not such candidates favor or oppose such
objects, and report to such convention; to
present resolutions to Congress; to attend
the sessions of that body In the interest of
the work, &c. Hon. VIM. Cullen of this
city was made member of that commit
tee, and Hon. A. j. O'COnor of La Sale
was placed on the finance committee.
On Thursday convention was held at
Quincy In the interest of the improvement
of the Mississippi from the DesMoines
rapids to the mouth of the Illinois A res
olution asking an appropriation of $780,
600 for this work was adopted.
On the Goth river improvement will be
held at Memphis. Tenn.
The sublime absurdity of the American
immigration law is graphically portrayed
this week In Puck, which has a cartoon
representing an ocean steamer landing. On
shore are gang of italian musicians OF
impecunious aspect, surrounded by num-
Der of paupers and red-mouthed tangled
haired anarchists with their dynamite car